Forest United F.C.
| dissolved = | ground = ONEsport Stadium | capacity = 14,500 | owner = ONEsport Entertainment, Inc. | chairman = | manager = Mark Rae | coach = | currentleague = League A | currentposition = | lastseason = | lastleaguea = League A | lastposition = 10th | current = | website = | firstgame = | largestwin = | worstdefeat = | topscorer = | fansgroup = | honours = | American = }} Forest United Football Club is a professional football club based in Centre-Ville, Orleans Province, St. Gregory. The team plays in League A, the top tier of the St. Gregory Football Association. Founded in 1987 by a team of timber workers (whose industry is a major part of the Rouge River basin area economy), Forest have an identity as one of St. Gregory's truly working-class clubs, and the blue collar ethos of their supporters belies this. In 2015, the club celebrated the 30th anniversary of its roots, with The Forest Union – the organization that gave birth to the football club – being established in 1985. History Local football had been played in and around Centre-Ville since the 1960s, however the foundation of the SGFA in 1979 and the commencement of a professional league led a movement for a professional team in the town. In November 1985, following the first major expansion of the SGFA and the establishment of League B, a group from the Hann Timber Company – which included the company's owners, the Hann family, and several amateur players who worked at the company's Centre-Ville mill – formed a group called The Forest Union, with the aim of playing football in the SGFA's professional system. Over a year of negotiations between the Hann family, the town of Centre-Ville, and the SGFA ensued, during which time the players continued to play for other local amateur clubs. Finally, in January 1987, the SGFA granted a professional license to the Hanns and Forest United Football Club was officially registered as a club. The "United" name was chosen instead of "Union" to avoid confusion with Union Town F.C., who were already a professional club by that point. The team began play at the Croydon Street ground, which had opened in 1965 and hosted most senior amateur football in the town since that time. Forest United were placed in League B for their inaugural season (and the league's third), 1987-88. The team, made up largely of Hann Timber workers, struggled in their first season. They won just one game, a shock home victory over eventual runners-up Starrs County, and finished last out of 8 teams in League B. The 1997-98 season – and the 1998 calendar year in particular – saw Forest reach a high point. As well as finishing fifth in League A, the team reached the 1998 SGFA Cup Final, their first appearance in the Final. There they faced nearby rivals Midland International and it was Forest who triumphed on the day, winning the match 3-1 to capture their first major trophy. Three months later, they began 1998-99 by upsetting highly-favored Bonneville United by a score of 4-2 in the 1998 SGFA Shield. In 2003, Forest United were sold by the Hann family to a publicly traded company named ONEsport Entertainment, who announced they would build a new 14,500-seat stadium. The new stadium, dubbed ONEsport Stadium, opened in September 2007 and Forest have played all home matches there since. Forest finished the 2013-14 League A season in fifth place, their highest finish since 1997-98. Colors, crest and nickname The team is nicknamed the Double Greens, as Forest green and Kelly green are the team's two primary colors. Kit manufacturers and sponsors Support Forest United's roots lie with the working class residents of Centre-Ville, many of whom work or have worked in timber production and the agricultural sector. Forest fans are known to embrace their uncouth reputation among the rest of the league and are frequently heard shouting "F-U-F-C" from the stands, both a reference to the team's initials and an exclamation to opposing fans. Rivalries :See also: Rouge River derby Forest's primary rivalries are with neighbor clubs Midland International and Rivergate. All three clubs are based within a short (approx. 15 mile) radius and joined the SGFA within three years of each other (Forest in 1987, Midland in 1988, Rivergate in 1990). Forest and Midland contested the 1998 SGFA Cup Final, which Forest won 3-1. A local "rivalry" of sorts exists between Forest and Old Boys, however the teams are (as of 2019-20) two leagues apart and thus the rivalry is largely symbolic. The culture clash between the two sets of supporters stems mainly from social divisions; Forest fans maintain a working-class identity, while Old Boys are funded by a wealthy private school and many of their fans are alumni or members of the upper classes. Due to league placement, Forest and Old Boys have only met four times in league play (Forest have won three; one match was drawn) and once in an SGFA Cup tie (also won by Forest). Players Current squad : As of July 31, 2019 Note: Players without a flag are from St. Gregory. Players with an asterisk (*) are from outside the United States or its territories, or have represented a non-U.S. territory at international level, but hold either citizenship or permanent residency in the U.S. and thus do not count towards the league cap on foreign players. Out on loan Reserves and Academy :Further information: Category:Forest United F.C. Reserves and Academy Former players :Further information: Category:Forest United F.C. players Managerial history :Further information: Category:Forest United F.C. managers Honors * League B :*'Champions (2)': 2005-06, 2009-10 :*'Playoff winners (1)': 2011-12 * SGFA Cup :Winners (1): 1997-98 * SGFA Shield :Winners (1): 1998 Category:Forest United F.C. Category:Club pages